Searching for and Ordering a Birth Certificate in Lithuania

Since 01 January 2017, civil registry offices of the Republic of Lithuania have started to issue extracts confirming the record of civil status in a form set by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania instead of registration certificates of the record of civil status. Extracts may be issued upon a receipt of the petitioner’s application immediately after registration of the civil status act (right away after birth of a child) or anytime later at the civil registry office, consular post, or the Centre of Registers.

Extracts confirming the record of birth of the persons born after 1940 are stored in the Archives of the civil registry division. The extract may be issued to a person who has reached the age of 16, as well as to his parents or foster parents, regardless of age of a person.

When applying the following details shall be specified: person’s name (names), surname (surnames), date of birth (or year of birth) and place of birth.

Extracts confirming the record of birth of the relatives (spouse, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents) are issued only with their consent or upon their death. In such a case the hereunder mentioned documents shall be additionally submitted to an application:  

• Person’s consent or death certificate;
• Documents evidencing kinship (birth certificate (certificates), marriage certificate).

Searches for extracts confirming the record of birth of the persons born before 1940 are carried out in the Lithuanian State Historical Archives, located at Mindaugo St. 8, Vilnius. Metrics books of all religious communities and churches are stored here. It has to be mentioned that, depending on the territory and the church, although the books stored in this Archives date back even to the 16^th century, not all of them are still extant. Since the Catholic belief prevailed in Lithuania, the RKB metrics books are the most preserved, and the Jewish metrics funds are also quite abundant. Only few of metrics books of Orthodox, Old Believers, Evangelical Lutheran, Evangelical Reformers, Muslim, or Karaite have survived.

When applying for a search the following information should be indicated: person’s name (names), surname (surnames), date of birth (or year of birth), place of birth, father’s name and surname, mother’s name, and maiden name, religious community, or faith (if known).

Processing an application in the Lithuanian State Historical Archives is optionally available in order of precedence (approximately per month), within 10 working days, or within 5 working days.

MIGRATION LAW CENTER